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Junji Ito 'Collection' Anime Reveals Visual, Staff, January 7 Premiere
posted on by Karen Ressler
The official website for the television anime adaptation of manga by famed horror author Junji Ito revealed its official title, key visual, additional staff and premiere date on Thursday. The anime is titled Junji Ito "Collection" and it will premiere on Tokyo MX on Sunday, January 7 at 10:00 p.m.
Director and character designer Shinobu Tagashira illustrated the key visual above. It shows six characters from Ito's works: Fuchi ("Fashion Model"), Tohru Oshikiri ("Oshikiri Idan"), Tomie (Tomie series), Sōichi ("Sōichi" series), Handsome Man at the Crossroads ("Shibito no Koiwazurai"), and Yūko ("Namekuji Shōjo").
The anime will adapt stories from both the 11-volume Itō Junji Kessaku-shū (Junji Ito Masterpiece Collection) series and the Fragments of Horror book. The site has still not revealed which stories will be adapted, and noted that the characters in the key visual may or may not appear in the anime. The staff will not reveal story information prior to the show's broadcast so that viewers will be surprised.
Tagashira (Diabolik Lovers) is directing the anime and serving as the character designer at Studio DEEN. Kaoru Sawada (Diamond Daydreams) is writing the scripts. Hozumi Gōda (Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Kai) is serving as sound director and Yuuki Hayashi (My Hero Academia) is composing the music.
Ito's Uzumaki and Tomie manga have inspired inspired live-action adaptations, and his GYO manga inspired an OVA. Viz Media has published these three titles, as well as Ito's Fragments of Horror manga in English. ComicsOne has published his Flesh Colored Horror manga, Dark Horse Comics has published his Museum of Terror manga, and Kodansha Comics has published his Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon & Mu manga.
Ito most recently launched a manga adaptation of Osamu Dazai's classic novel No Longer Human (Ningen Shikkaku) on May 2. Ito's manga short stories received a Chinese live-action adaptation in 2016.
Ito is celebrating his 30th anniversary as a manga creator this year.
